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Friday, July 29, 2011

I wonder what this says about both the American economy or even the Californian economy?

There are fewer undocumented immigrants in California – and the Sacramento region – because many are now finding the American dream south of the border.

"It's now easier to buy homes on credit, find a job and access higher education in Mexico," Sacramento's Mexican consul general, Carlos González Gutiérrez, said Wednesday. "We have become a middle-class country."

Mexico's unemployment rate is now 4.9 percent, compared with 9.4 percent joblessness in the United States.

An estimated 300,000 undocumented immigrants have left California since 2008, though the remaining 2.6 million still make up 7 percent of the population and 9 percent of the labor force, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

I haven't tuned in very heavily to the debt ceiling debate, but it appears the polls for the President isn't going in the right direction on this issue. Politico:

Even the least painful resolution to the crisis — a plan backed by Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that is a cocktail of deep cuts in discretionary public spending and infrastructure improvements without a whiff of the tax-the-wealthy agenda that has been a staple Democratic demand — is poison to many progressives.

“Every policy outcome for liberals is a loss at this point,” a senior party operative said, reflecting the prevailing view among progressives that the alternatives mulled by Obama in the debt talks range from the awful to the unthinkable.

“We may win on the politics,” the operative said, “but the policy battle is lost. It’s just depressing.”

Several recent polls show unmistakable signs of Obama’s slippage with this core group. A Washington Post survey released last week found that the percentage of self-described liberals who “strongly” support the president’s performance on jobs has fallen 22 points over the past year, from 53 percent to 31 percent.

The percentage of African-American Democrats, Obama’s electoral core, who think he’s doing a good job on the economy, has plummeted from 77 percent last year to a little over 50 percent.

A CNN poll released last Friday showed Obama’s overall approval rating dropped from 48 percent to 45 percent in the past month, sapped, in part, by dampened liberal enthusiasm.

50% approval amongst Black voters? All the enthusiasm from 2009 seeing the first Black President elected and it doesn't appear to be as strong as it was in either November 2008 or January 2009! Well I wasn't always interesting in polling but if only I can see if the numbers for Black voters continue to either shrink or stay consistent. Ultimately what will be the numbers by the time the 2012 Presidential race is concluded in November?

There's no way to appreciate fully the contributions of Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman (1912-2006), who would have turned 99 years old this weekend, to the growth of libertarian ideas and a free society.

This is the man, after all, who introduced the concept of school vouchers, documented the role of government monopolies on money in creating inflation, provided the intellectual arguments that ended the military draft in America, co-founded the Mont Pelerin Society, and so much more. In popular books such as Capitalism and Freedom and Free to Choose, written with his wife and longtime collaborator Rose, he masterfully drew a through-line between economic freedom and political and cultural freedom.

Yet his ultimate contribution to freedom and liberty is found less in any of the specific argument he made and more in the ways he made them. Friedman provided an all-too-rare example of a public intellectual who was scrupulously honest, forthright, and fair in every debate he entered. Whether he was duking it out with fellow Nobel Prize winners and other high-profile economists or making the case for the morality of capitalism with TV hosts such as Phil Donahue and angry students, he always argued in good faith, admitted when he was wrong, and enlarged the circle of debate.

Long after some of his technical points and social insights have been superseded, that commitment to relentless inquiry and search for truth wherever it takes us will survive.

Milton Friedman gave us something much better than revealed truth: He showed us the process by which we might continue to indefinitely learn about our world and the human condition. In this sense, the Friedman Century is far from over; indeed, it's just getting started.

Written and narrated by Nick Gillespie. Produced and edited by Jim Epstein, with help from Jack Gillespie.

About 2.30 minutes.

His work probably isn't in the public domain, but I have seen clips of his appearance on Donahune. This is something I need to read up on as well!

[VIDEO] I wish I could embed this video , but FOX News for whatever reason has disallowed embedding from its YouTube channel. So click the link in the brackets so watch this segment from the late great Glenn Beck program that ended it's almost two and a half year run last month.

The subject was about the value of college and this is something I have pondered as of late.

College was expected of many young Blacks whether it was my parents or younger generations. It was especially critical when say the parents were successful and they wanted better for their children and the key for that was going to college.

I would expect my children (when I have any) to go to college. My hope is that they would be prepared for that step and that I would be able to help guide them forward. When it was my time to go to college it was basically a roller coaster ride. Was not prepared at all?

My first finger would be pointed at my old high school. Although on the other hand many of us wasn't expected to go to college so therefore for most of us the idea hadn't been planted in our heads. It's OK to prepare a select few but let those who want to leave themselves out leave themselves out. The ones who don't want to even think college will not go!

My mother wasn't exactly expected to go to college. My grandmother never graduated from high school but for her generation she could probably afford to do so. While most of my aunts and uncles have college degrees or at least some college credits they weren't expected to go to college. My mother did finish her degree in her 40s after attending school part time during the early course of her working career. My dad on the other hand never finished high school.

I could continue to point fingers, but in expecting the young people to go to school they should have to consider what they're getting into. The disciplines they would be interested in studying and perhaps the potential job when they get their degrees. They should also consider the financing. Do they really want to go into student loan debt for something that is in the long run still somewhat valuable?

Will not shed a tear for the terrorist group. Yeah I'm sure there may be others to arise, but I hope that they won't be able to conduct the same type of operations that al-Qaeda has been able to!

U.S. counterterrorism officials are increasingly convinced that the killing of Osama bin Laden and the toll of seven years of CIA drone strikes have pushed al­Qaeda to the brink of collapse.

The assessment reflects a widespread view at the CIA and other agencies that a relatively small number of additional blows could effectively extinguish the Pakistan-based organization that carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — an outcome that was seen as a distant prospect for much of the past decade.

U.S. officials said that al-Qaeda might yet rally and that even its demise would not end the terrorist threat, which is increasingly driven by radicalized individuals as well as aggressive affiliates. Indeed, officials said that al­Qaeda’s offshoot in Yemen is now seen as a greater counterterrorism challenge than the organization’s traditional base.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

For almost the past week Gov. Pat Quinn, has been on a business trip to the Jewish state of Israel. Of course that doesn't stop blogger Gregory Tejada from commenting on the state of politics here in Illinois:

According to the Chicago Tribune, Quinn told reporters that he feared Republican legislators would use the opportunity to play political games of their own, and that he thought it best to keep them out as much as possible.

What makes that possible is that state law requires a budget to be approved before the state fiscal year begins on July 1. Which is why Quinn on June 30 signed into law the budget approved by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly.

Had he not done so, the state laws that require a larger vote of support to pass something into law would have taken effect. Which would have meant the Democratic majorities in the Illinois House of Representatives and state Senate would not have been able to do whatever they wanted, and that Republican votes would have been needed to pass something.

This is a good point. This should hurt Republicans in this state. Hopefully they can turn things around and be competitive in 2012:

If the GOP wants to be taken more seriously, they need to focus their attention on winning elections and gaining more representatives. Just as it is difficult to argue about the behavior of Congress these days – where the conservative ideologues won a sizable share of the House of Representatives to have some legitimate say. For Republicans to gain some say in Springfield these days, they're going to have to win a share of representation. That's just the way things are in the real world.

This would also be true of a lot of the many groups in America. You could be a libertarian or a socialist, but if you want a say organize people around your ideas.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

96 years ago the SS Eastland capsized in the Chicago River at a dock half way between the present day locations of the Merchandise Mart and Marina City. 844 people had lost their lives on this very day back then. Chicagoist gives us the history lesson. Gives us what Schmidt would've otherwise done! :P

Saturday, July 23, 2011

[VIDEO] He really needs to post more videos. Actually I wish I could utilize my YouTube account more. This video he shows us how to replace some parts in his antiquated toilet:

When you live in an old house with an old-fashioned 3.5 gallon tank, you either learn how to replace ballcocks and float arms or you call a plumber. Since the one in my bathroom recently needed replacing, I decided to record the replacement process for posterity (and YouTube). Thank you, Lowe's, for stocking a product that millions of homeowners still want and need. And Home Depot, if you're not going to carry ballcock assemblies, why the flying **** do you still stock the float balls and arms!? Strange.

And no, I'm not putting in a low-flow toilet. I'm the only one living here; it's not like there's five kids and the toilet's constantly being flushed.

Friday, July 22, 2011

This has got to be a case of sheer stupidity and madness. It's unbelieveable that she had no bullets in her gun then attempted to fire at police.

In May 2007, officers were investigating a report of shots fired near 78th and Burnham when they stopped a car Kidd was riding in. She ran and when an officer caught her, she stuck a gun in the officer’s chest and pulled the trigger.

But the gun didn’t go off.

The officer and Kidd struggled and they fell down. When they got up, she stuck the gun in the officer’s chest again and pulled the trigger.

Again, it didn’t go off.

That’s when the officer shot Kidd, 22, of the 7700 block of South Phillips.

Police later found that the cylinder of Kidd’s gun had opened during the chase and all the bullets fell out.

Judge Neil Linehan sentenced Kidd on Thursday.

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez was quoted in this article saying...

“This is a fitting and a just sentence for anyone who would be so bold as to fire a gun at a police officer,” Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez said. “We are grateful that this officer was uninjured in this incident and we will continue to prosecute violent crimes against police officers to the fullest extent of the law.”

Unless of course, she's in Hawaii and can't get camera-time for charges against a cop killer.

They're of course referring to a story about no charges were immediately filed against a man in prison who apparently confessed to the murder of a police officer last year. A story I wrote blogged about over at my very own The Sixth Ward.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Ironically this story about Mayor Emanuel when Mary Ann Ahern at NBC Chicago decided to query him during the course of an interview about where he plans to send his children to school made it to Instapundit this morning. This is what happened after he attempted to cut of the interview, Ahern made the point that the Mayor could send a message about how confident he was in the public schools to educate his children:

Then, the Mayor of Chicago positioned himself inches from my face and pointed his finger directly at my head. He raised his voice and admonished me. How dare I ask where his children would go to school!

"You've done this before," he said.

This was the Emanuel we had heard about, and it was one of the oddest moments in my 29 years of reporting.

Glenn Reynolds says:

And your kids’ schooling is his business, but his kids’ schooling isn’t any of your business. These people always seem to think that way.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

A story out of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire. Did apple cider really save a house from the fire? Was this house unique amongst the many structures to survive the fire? John Schmidt at his WBEZ blog gives us the answer!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Even before the state income tax rose from 3 percent to 5 percent, Illinois was listed as one of “Terrible 10 unfair tax states,” because of our flat tax, high sales taxes, and 1.25 percent levy on groceries. The poorest 20 percent paid 7 percent of their income in taxes, while the richest 1 percent paid…1 percent. Those numbers are even worse now that the guy shining Mayor Emanuel’s shoes is paying the same 5 percent as Mayor Emanuel. (This comparison does not apply to Gov. Quinn, who gets his shoes shined as often as he combs his hair.)

But it doesn’t have to be that way! The delegates to the 1970 Constitutional Convention, who included former Mayor Richard M. Daley and House Speaker Michael Madigan, banned a progressive income tax. But it can be un-banned with a constitutional amendment. The legislature could then return most of us to the old 3 percent rate (or less), while forcing Mayor Emanuel to pay 7 percent (or more) to make up the slack. Of the 43 states with an income tax, 33 use a graduated scale. New Jersey, which usually manages to be in less financial trouble than Illinois, goes from 1.4% for the broke to 8.97% for the millionaires. Only four states -- Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee -- tax the poorest of the poor at a harsher rate than Illinois.

If only there was a discussion to eliminate the income tax entirely. Before the 1970 constitution was enacted there was no income tax in Illinois. Of course I would hope that this state would be in decent financial shape for that to ever happen.

BTW, what does it say about Illinois if blogger Edward McClelland noted that New Jersey has a progressive income tax yet has less financial trouble than Illinois. Hopefully taxpayers would take an interest in knowing where their dollars are going.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Well not sure that a strip-club would be a good example to set if you wanted to point to ways that a government may seek to close a business they don't approve of. It's not only government who may not approve of type of business, but citizens as well.

For 18 years, the city of Chicago has been trying to shut down what’s now known as VIP’s A Gentlemen’s Club, whose politically connected owner, Perry Mandera, boasts that he runs “Chicago’s only full liquor & topless bar.”
City Hall’s position is this: The club’s dancers showed too much butt and too much breast.

The club’s take: No, they didn’t — and, besides, it argued, the city ordinance that makes it illegal for a club to sell liquor if it has performers exposing their buttocks or breasts is unconstitutional.

The courts keep rejecting the club’s arguments. Mandera hasn’t won a court ruling in the case in 10 years, going all the way at one point to the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to take his appeal.

But VIP’s is still operating and still serving liquor. Even as Mandera has lost one ruling after another, the courts have stayed those rulings, allowing him to keep operating the club while his lawyers keep fighting the city.

Whatever legal bills Mandera may have piled up, the fight clearly has been worth the effort financially, court records show. Mandera has said in court documents that his club takes in $6 million a year with its mix of near nudity and liquor. That’s at least $4 million more than adult-entertainment venues make that don’t have a liquor license, according to Mandera.

The club isn’t just good for him, Mandera, who declines to be interviewed, has argued in court, but is also good for the economy, employing 180 people, including 100 performers. The women are paid to dance on stage, and they can make more money by doing private table dances.

“According to Mandera, the average dancer at the club was making ‘six figures a year’ by the year 2000,” according to a 2006 Illinois Supreme Court ruling. “Mandera reported his own take from the club to be $75,000 a month.”

VIP’s says it pays $480,000 a year in taxes to the city and state.

One way to look at this. This may not be the type of business you want in the neighborhood, but if Chicago isn't doing that great fiscally then is it in your best interest to close a business that's making money. Even if that business is "sin".

Friday, July 15, 2011

Almost sounds like a justification, but all the activity isn't thanks to Flint's lack of gun control. The availabilty of guns aren't causing people to use their guns to commit crimes:

In Flint, it's hard to make the case that liberal gun laws and a well-armed populace have made it a secure place to live. Last year, the impoverished city, which has lost more than 70,000 auto industry jobs, laid off a third of its police force. Homicides jumped from 36 to 66, breaking a record set in 1986, when Flint had nearly twice as many people as its current population of 102,000. Flint is the deadliest city in America, with a murder rate four times as high as Chicago’s. Some killings were in self-defense: an elderly woman shot a teenage boy who broke into her home. But most were drive-by shootings, robberies and drug murders.

Residents say the understaffed police force takes 50 minutes to respond to a shooting. Which inspires people to take law enforcement into their own hands.

“If you know no one’s going to show up for 50 minutes, that’s plenty of time to get away,” a young African-American man told me. “I’ve got a Glock in my house. If they’re not going to have my back, I’ve got to have my own.”

Perhaps guns haven't made Flint safer, but the people don't feel safe anyway. Perhaps the people of Flint feel safer with their own guns because their police department doesn't have decent responses to incidents. I can also point out, that it also depends on who is holding the gun and every individual shouldn't have a gun. Does that really mean that no one should ever handle a gun?

Thursday, July 14, 2011

A good history of debt and federal government finance over at Breitbart's Big Government blog. I don't totally understand it but it good to see the history. This post makes the point of making sure that our government pays off their debts and remain in good shape financially.

If there was a time to really get back into decent financial shape now is the time. Otherwise when will we finally get out of this "Great Recession".

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Ron Paul a long-time Texas Congressman has decided to focus his attention on his Presidential bid instead of seeking re-election to his US House seat. There are a few people who are happy because they aren't very happy about some of his views on foreign policy and probably on the Federal Reserve as well.

I'd say we are safe to start writing the obit for Paul's career, so what is the Paul legacy? A hit-and-miss libertarianism, constant attacks on Jews and the Federal Reserve, complaints about federal spending, while culling billions of federal tax dollars in earmarks for his constituents in Texas. But no real lasting legacy, I’d say.

In fact, I'd say his best legacy is his more levelheaded son, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.

I won’t miss his half-informed fanboys who have for at least ten years descended on nearly every Republican or conservative conference stuffing straw poll ballot boxes with votes all paid for by Paul's multi-million dollar campaign war chest. I also won’t miss his fans and their overly confrontational attitudes and ignorant, raucous behavior. Most especially, I won't miss their anti-Semitism and hatred for Jews.

Hmmm, I had little idea that Ron Paul has said anything against the Jews. I wish I could see some examples. Also kudos to Publius for allowing a compliment on Paul's son Rand who is currently in the US Senate from Kentucky.

We can agree on one main point, I'm not sure the nation is ready for Ron Paul's brand of libertarianism. To be honest though now is the time to advocate for libertarianism. If progressivism and conservatism have had their day it's about time for the libertarians.

Monday, July 11, 2011

A dismal June employment report shows that employers are adding nowhere near as many jobs as they normally do this long after a recession has ended.

Unemployment has climbed for three straight months and is now at 9.2 percent. There's no precedent, in data going back to 1948, for such a high rate two years into what economists say is a recovery.

The economy added just 18,000 jobs in June. That's a fraction of the 90,000 jobs economists had expected and a sliver of the 300,000 jobs needed each month to shrink unemployment significantly.

The excruciatingly slow growth is confounding economists, spooking consumers and dismaying job seekers. Friday's report forced analysts to re-examine their assumption that the economy would strengthen in the second half of 2011.

Thursday, July 07, 2011

I did lament that there isn't a movie venue downtown. It was known for many movie venues, but many of them have been either razed or converted to other uses.

For example down the street from the Gene Siskel Film Center (a marquee posted to the left) in either direction. Block 37 had been vacant for many years to the south near State & Randolph but there were a number of movie theaters there before that block was razed in the late 1980s. Then a little north was the old State/Lake theater which is now a TV news studio for Chicago's ABC affiliate.

Then directly across the street is the Chicago Theater. These days it's more of a live theater venue. Many years ago it played host to an episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Anyway today I'm reading this Chicagoist post about the Siskel Film Center operated by the Art Institute of Chicago. It's a good read and while this venue mainly shows more art and specialty features it indicated how the film exhibition business is changing and attempting to adapt to the current climate.

Interviewed is Marty Rubin who is the Assistant Director of Programming at the film center. This is merely the second part of a series.

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

While this is only a minority stake taken by Morgan Chase surely this is lamented by those who follow Black-owned businesses. But to survive a business has to do what it has to do to keep their business afloat. That's capitalism and the benefit is that the business survives and I would imagine there are some things Johnson Publishing needs to stay afloat:

Johnson Publishing Co., the Chicago publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines, has sold a minority stake to J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. and will use funds raised through the investment to accelerate its growth plan.

CEO Desiree Rogers declined to say how much the private-equity arm of New York-based J.P. Morgan invested, but she noted that the stake is “substantial.”

The funds will be used to expand the brand's digital presence, and increase marketing for Johnson's magazines and its Fashion Fair cosmetics line.

The company also plans to bring some functions in-house, hiring a general counsel, head of human relations and vice-president of digital, Ms. Rogers said. She also said Chief Marketing Officer Rod Sierra has left to pursue his own business.

Chase is “supportive of the strategic direction” the company has taken over the past year, Ms. Rogers said.

I wonder what's the strategy:

Part of Ms. Rogers's digital plan is to strike partnerships with more vendors online to sell services and products to readers, she said. “Mainly now what we're doing is refining our strategy,” she said.

The monthly Ebony has used direct-mail marketing and discounted subscriptions to help return its circulation to 1.25 million, Ms. Rogers said. That's the base rate that is touted with advertisers. Ebony's total paid and verified circulation was 997,173 as of the end of last year, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Jet's circulation has jumped to 800,000 weekly, the company said. That's up from 703,944 as of the end of last year, according to ABC.

Ms. Rogers is also considering cutting costs by teaming up with other publications to buy materials, such as paper, at bulk prices. The company also previously announced it's selling its current Michigan Avenue office building and moving to a new headquarters in the city.

Well this is where I could add what I wish could be seen in Ebony and Jet magazines, but I think I will hold off. Johnson Publishing needs to turn their product around and hopefully then maybe some changes will be made to the content of their publications.

I saw this story on PBS Newshour Tuesday night. I caught the part with the man who is seeking to use a vacant lot in Cleveland as a vineyard. Similar to something you should've seen on this blog from the past spring. Description:

Business correspondent Paul Solman reports from Cleveland on the economically troubled Ohio city's efforts to tear down thousands of empty foreclosed homes in hopes of putting eyesore and dangerous properties back to productive use -- perhaps as community gardens, new businesses or even a vineyard.

I would like to see something about this on The Urbanophile that takes a hardlook at urban development in America's Midwest region.

Oh and I almost forget that Detroit wants to do something similar decommissioning depopulated neighborhoods and finding another purpose for the land.

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

So historian John R. Schmidt has made his transition from Tribune owned Chicago Now to WBEZ-Chicago Public Radio. Today's post at John R. Schmidt: Chicago History Today is entitled: "Selling Senate seats? A Chicago political tradition". Should be interesting, but it almost feels like a rerun. This posting seems familiar, but perhaps only to share stories that were seen at Unknown Chicago.

[VIDEO] Cuba inching towards capitalism but you still need a license and buy some supplies and goods from the Cuban government. It's demonstrated by this male named Roberto who doesn't want to show his face. He makes sodas and while he claims he buys his sugar on the free market, he gets his CO2 and sells his sodas on the black market.

Here's a description:

Despite economic reforms in place in Cuba, many still turn to the black market to get necessary items as well as luxury goods.

Monday, July 04, 2011

Well I was thrown off by this red mail box, but this post over at Instapundit is about what a local group in Tennessee is offering to help people dispose of their old US flags. Place it in this box shown to the left and then twice a week they empty this box and then destroy the old flags.

Also via Instapundit, links to three things to promote liberty, Instapundit's (Glenn Reynolds) ideas on constitutional reform and an update with Ed Morrisey's comments at Hot Air. I'd be interested in the promoting liberty thing but I don't have time for it right now!

John Ruberry writes about Demark's celebration of our Independence Day and the history of this event in that Scandinavian nation. The idea from a Danish immigrant to Chicago was to donate some land in his home nation to further Danish-American relations.

Sunday, July 03, 2011

I don't know when I started compiling a list of readings in the sidebar. Some of the readings listed are of literature that are in the Public Domain. Those that are in the public domain have links to where you can actually read them online.

One link I have is only to another post about a book I checked out at the library. That book is The South Side: The Racial Transformation of an American Neighborhood by Louis Rosen.

Anyway I just wish there was a way to create an app where you can access those readings. Therefore it's possible to be able to read these works which mainly would include two books by economist Adam Smith, Second Treatise of Government by John Locke, On Liberty by John Stuart Mill, The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Democracy in America by Alexis De Tocqueville, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass, and finally Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington. So these books involve some Black history, political philosophy, even classical economics.

This would make getting an iPad or similar device much more worthwhile! :P